Story By: James King, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
Two more people have been killed in the latest in a spate of attacks by piranhas in South America.
Both of the latest attacks happened in Paraguay, where people visited local rivers in large numbers during the current heatwave in order to cool down.
The first death of the new year happened on Sunday when a 22-year-old man was bathing in the Paraguay River, which one of the biggest in the country, in the Ita Enramada neighbourhood, in the south of the capital Asuncion.
The alarm was raised when the man suddenly vanished, and when his body was eventually found 45 minutes later, several parts had been torn off and eaten by the piranhas.
The second attack also happened on the Paraguay River, in the area of Puerto Rosario, in the department of San Pedro, when a 49-year-old man was found dead after being attacked by piranhas.
The deceased man had been reported missing hours earlier, and he was also found with severe bites to the face, as can be seen in the video.
In this case, however, it is believed that the man had died from a heart attack, and only then was he attacked by the piranhas.
There were also further attacks, which were not fatal but which resulted in serious injuries, on the Parana River at the Bella Vista Fishing Club, which is in the department of Itapua.
After these reports, there were then notifications of further attacks on the Aguaraymi River, in the department of San Pedro, and on the Jejuimi River, at the Villa Ygatimi wellness centre, in the department of Canindeyu.
The attacks follow on from other incidents reported in Argentina recently, including a teenage girl who had a toe bitten off.
She was one of several people who were hospitalised, and she needed an emergency skin graft at the Dr Orlando Alassia Children’s Hospital following the attack on the Parana River on the eastern coast of the city of Santa Fe.
As a result of the attacks, local officials stepped in to slap a ban on further bathing, and images showed some of the injured being treated for their wounds.
In another incident, a man had his big toe bitten off again in a piranha attack on the Parana River, on this occasion as it followed its course through the small city of Coronda in the east-central Argentinian province of Santa Fe.
As can be seen in these gory photographs, the man had the tip bitten off his big toe and his son had a chunk torn from the heel of his foot, both leaving gaping wounds.
According to local media, such attacks occur during hot weather. They are more common during the Argentinian summer when the fish reproduce and come close to the coast when water levels are low.
After the latest attacks that left 20 injured and at least two people dead, Argentinian biologist Julio Caply revealed that although there are eight species of piranhas in the country, the attacks are usually made by only two, serrasalmus marginatus and serrasalmus maculatus.
The biologist said that the killer fish are mainly present in the Parana and Paraguay rivers, saying that they tend to hide under floating plants before suddenly rushing out to attack victims.
